Deck of cards for a first to sleep card game

ABSTRACT

A specialized, non-standard, deck of cards for use in a “Take That” type of game where the object is to accumulate the most amount of sleep. The present invention relates to an improved deck of cards which better engages players and creates more fun and interesting game play scenarios. The invention includes a plurality of cards for successive play by a plurality of players. The specialized deck consists of a plurality of cards that can be played by multiple players. The types of cards in this invention which are divided into seven categories: “Time,” “Sleep,” “Wake,” “Fix,” “Power,” “Special,” and “Super” cards, each of which serve a special function to either accumulate points, stop point accumulation, deduct points, or cancel out cards which other players play.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a card game, specifically a specialized deck of cards.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Problem: Need a deck with more cards;

Solution: Provide more cards.

There are many card decks in which the object of the game is to accumulate points and in which players may attempt to stop opposing players from reaching the pre-determined point total by playing “stop” cards. Moreover, there are also card decks which employ the use of “cancel” cards which block “stop” cards from being played or, in effect, cancel their stated game effect. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 836,537-Roche, there exists a game where there is a simulated automobile race to a predetermined goal or point total. However, the Roche patent and others games do not involve such a complex set of cards which improve the fun players may have and the game-play involved. The cards used in games such as Roche, contain a small amount of playing cards, are limited in the amount of interesting and clever cards which may block play, and are further limited in the type of unique cancellation cards which stop other players from accumulating points or blocking other cancellation cards played by other players.

Decks currently in the market also do not employ cards that allow players to accumulate sleep points, stop opposing players from accumulating sleep points, or cancel out cards that block sleep points from being accumulated. The present invention is an improvement over such other decks of cards. This invention makes game play interesting by providing a unique set of “point” cards, “block” cards, and “cancel” cards, as defined below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to an improved deck of cards for having a plurality of cards for successive play by a plurality of players. The premise of the game is that players are in a race to get as much sleep as possible in a week's vacation time. With each “night,” or hand, players try to accumulate eight hours of sleep. Once eight hours of sleep is reached, the “night” ends. Points are totaled for Time, Power, Special, and Super cards, with the winner being the player with the most points after seven hands are played. Various ending scenarios can be used to change the game rules such that more or less points may be accumulated or more or less hands may be played.

In one embodiment, there are twenty-two types of cards that can be played by multiple players. The winner of the game is the first player to gather enough Time cards to total an amount agreed to by the players or those specified in the rules. A pile is a player's own discard pile, which is different from the community discard pile where players discard unusable cards. Players will always maintain five cards in their hand, picking and discarding accordingly. Players will play cards on their own piles or opponents piles. There are twenty-two card types in a deck which are divided into seven categories: “Time,” “Sleep,” “Wake,” “Fix,” “Power,” “Special,” and “Super” cards. This deck includes subset of cards for each of the above card categories.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view of the back side of a card within a deck of cards, in accordance with the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a view of the front side of a card found within a deck of cards, in accordance with the disclosure;

FIG. 3 comprises of a plurality of Time cards, eight being shown, which indicate the amount of points which may be earned and the maximum amount of points allowed to be earned during gameplay;

FIG. 4 comprises of a plurality of Sleep cards, two being shown, in accordance with the disclosure;

FIG. 5 comprises of a plurality of Wake cards, 5 being shown, in accordance with the disclosure;

FIG. 6 comprises of a plurality of Fix cards, 6 being shown in accordance with the disclosure;

FIG. 7 comprises of a plurality of Power cards, 4 being shown, in accordance with the disclosure;

FIG. 8 comprises of a plurality of Special cards, 2 being shown, in accordance with the disclosure;

FIG. 9 comprises of a plurality of Super cards, 2 being shown, in accordance with the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to the drawings, the deck of cards described herein consists of different series of cards. Each card in the deck has a front and back portion. The back portion of each card, as seen in FIG. 1 has a printed and or pictorial representation 10 of the name of the game represented on it.

The front portion of each card, as seen in FIG. 2, has an outer section 12 and an inner section 14. Each outer section has a top left 16, top right 18, bottom left 20, and bottom right 22 section. Each inner portion has a top left 24, top right 26, bottom left 28, bottom right 30, and center section 32. Overall, there are seven series of cards in this deck.

The first series of cards, found in FIG. 3, are generally referred to as “Time” cards. A Time card contains a Time Statement. A Time Statement, as used here, is defined as a textual and or illustrative indication printed on the card that can be viewed by the player and construed as an indicator of the amount of points that may be awarded. The Time Statement can be found on each card's front side, outer portion, upper left 34 and lower right section 36. For example, numeral 34 indicates that five “minutes” or points of sleep are awarded to the player playing this card. In a similar manner, ten minutes are awarded as indicated by numerals 38 and 40, fifteen minutes are awarded as indicated by numerals 42 and 44, twenty minutes are awarded as indicated by numerals 46 and 48, thirty minutes are awarded as indicated by numerals 50 and 52, forty-five minutes are awarded as indicated by numerals 54 and 56, one hour are awarded as indicated by numerals 58 and 60 and two hours are awarded as indicated by numerals 62 and 64. There are a total of seventy six Time cards in each deck and separately there are quantity ten “Five Minutes” cards, ten “Ten Minutes” cards, ten “Fifteen Minutes” cards, ten “Twenty Minutes” cards, ten “Thirty Minutes” cards, ten “Forty Five Minutes” cards, ten “One Hour” cards, and six “Two Hours” cards.

Another series of cards, found in FIG. 4, is generally referred to as Sleep cards. A Sleep card contains a Sleep Statement. A Sleep Statement, as used here, is defined as a textual and or illustrative indication printed on the card that can be viewed by the player, and construed as an event or indicator that may commonly allow one to fall asleep, hence, allowing the player to “sleep.” In the illustrated embodiment, there are two types of Sleep, a Bed card 66 and a Couch card 68. There are a total of twenty-seven Sleep cards in each deck and separately there are quantity twenty-three “Bed” cards, and four “Couch” cards. The Sleep Statement can be found in each respective card's front portion, outer-upper left section 70 and outer-lower right section 72. The Sleep Statement can also be found in each card's front side, inner-upper right section 74 and inner-lower left section 76. In FIG. 4, an example of this layout is shown on the card represented by numeral 66.

Another series of cards, found in FIG. 5, is generally referred to as Wake cards. A Wake card contains a Wake Statement. A Wake Statement, as used here, is defined as a textual and or illustrative indication printed on the card that can be viewed by the player, and construed as an event that may commonly attract one's attention, hence “waking” the player up from sleep. The Wake Statement can be found on each card's front portion, outer-upper left 78, outer-lower right 80, inner-upper right 82, and inner-lower left 84 sections. In FIG. 5, an example of this layout is shown on the card represented by numeral 86. In the illustrated embodiment, there are five different types of Wake cards: Alarm 86, Cat Furball 88, Dog Scratching 90, Smoke Alarm Low Battery 92, and Baby Crying 94 cards. These cards are used to “wake” other players up and deny them the accumulation of points. There are a total of three of each Wake cards in a deck, with a total of fifteen in a deck.

“Fix” cards, as seen in FIG. 6, are another series of cards. A Fix card contains a Fix Statement. A Fix Statement, as used here, is defined as a textual and or illustrative indication printed on the card that can be viewed by the player, and construed as an event that may commonly “fix” a problem that may stop one from sleeping. The Fix Statement can be found on each card's front portion, outer-upper left 96, outer-lower right 98, inner-upper right 100, and inner-lower left 102 sections. In FIG. 6, an example of this layout is shown on the card represented by numeral 104. In the illustrated embodiment, there are six different types of Fix cards: Alarm Off 104, Carpet Cleaner 106, Walk Dog 108, Replace Battery 110, Sooth Baby 112 and Snooze 114 cards. There is six of each type of Fix cards with a total of 36 Fix cards in a deck.

Another series of cards, as shown in FIG. 7, are called “Power” cards. A Power card contains a Power Statement. A Power Statement, as used here, is defined as a textual and or illustrative indication printed on the card that can be viewed by the player, and construed as an event that may commonly give one “power” of a situation or allow one to “over-power” an opponent, and thus allow someone to continue sleeping. Furthermore, a Power Statement can include a pictorial of the word chosen to represent a card. For example, “No Kids,” may be symbolized with a pictorial of a common representation that no children are present or allowed (see Numerals 120 and 122 for this example). The Power Statement can be found on each card's front portion, outer-upper left 116, outer-lower right 118, inner-upper right 120, and inner-lower left 122 sections. In FIG. 7, an example of this layout is shown on the card represented by numeral 124. Power cards consist of a plurality of cards with a Power Statement indicating that a player has No Kids 124, Battery Backup 126, Sleeping Pills 128, and No Pets 130 cards. There are four total Power cards, one of each type, in a deck. Power cards can be played at any time and are used to cancel or prevent other Wake cards from being played.

Another series of cards, seen in FIG. 8, is generally referred to as Special cards. A Special card contains a Special Statement. A Special Statement, as used here, is defined as a textual and or illustrative indication printed on the card that can be viewed by the player, and construed as an event that will allow a player to lose sleep in two limited situations: being “On-Call” for work and having a “Nightmare.” The Special Statement can be found on each card's front portion, outer-upper left 132, outer-lower right 134, inner-upper right 136, and inner-lower left 138 sections. In FIG. 8, an example of this layout is shown on the card represented by numeral 140. There are two variations of Special Cards: On Call 140 and Nightmare 142 cards. This embodiment consists of quantity four On Call cards 140 and three Nightmare cards 142.

The final series of cards, as seen in FIG. 9, are generally referred to as Super cards. A Super card contains a Super Statement. A Super Statement, as used here, is defined as a textual and or illustrative indication printed on the card that can be viewed by the player, and construed as an event that will allow a player to gain or lose sleep in two limited situations being: “Power Nap” and “Caffeine.” A pictorial representation of a power nap and caffeine are included in the definition. Super Cards are further defined as being limited to only one type of Super Card in each deck. For example, there can only be one Power Nap and one Caffeine card in this embodiment. The Super Statement can be found on each card's front portion, outer-upper left 144, outer-lower right 146, inner-upper right 148, and inner-lower left 150 sections. In FIG. 9, an example of this layout is shown on the card represented by numeral 152. Power cards consist of 2 variations of cards; Power Nap 152 and Caffeine Boost 154 cards.

The deck of cards described herein, are to be used for play in a card game, with each card having a purpose. Players each begin by drawing a predetermined number of cards for their hand. The players then take turns either playing a card in their hand, or discarding an unwanted card and obtaining a new from the pick-up deck. The type of card played by each player determines whether a player obtains points or loses points. The players each take turns and go in rounds of play. The first player to reach a pre-determined point total wins the game.

Time cards, as described, are cards that indicate how many points a player may obtain in a round. In this embodiment, when a Time card is played, a player may earn increments of five, ten, fifteen, twenty, thirty, forty-five, sixty (one hour) and one hundred twenty (two hour) points based on the Time Statement of the card.

In this embodiment, a player may not earn points unless a Sleep card is played. The Bed card 66 is important in that it must be played on a discard pile in order to start the accumulation of Time cards for the player using this card. Without a Bed card on a player's pile then no Time cards can be collected. Couch cards 68 limit the type of Time cards a player can play to one with a value of less than or equal to a Thirty Minute Time card. For example, when a Couch card 68 is played, then another player may not play a Time card whose value is more than thirty minutes.

Wake cards may also be played in order to stop other players from obtaining points. Fix cards cancel out Wake cards and allow a player to “fix” the cause that woke him up. Alarm cards 86, are a type of Wake card and are played on a players discard pile. The card is played on top of any Sleep card. This card stops the collection of Time cards until the “fix” Alarm Off 104 or Snooze card 114 is played. Cat Furball cards 88 are played on a players discard pile and on top of any Sleep or Time card. This card stops the collection of Time cards until a “fix” Carpet Cleaner card 106 is played. Dog Scratching cards 90 are played on a players discard pile and on top of any Time or Sleep card. The Dog Scratching 90 card stops the collection of Time cards until a “fix” Walk Dog card 108 is played. Smoke Alarm-Low Battery cards 92 are played on a players discard pile and on top of any Sleep or Time card. The Smoke Alarm-Low Battery card 92 stops the collection of Time cards until a “fix” Replace Battery card 110 is played. Baby Crying cards 94 are played on a player's discard pile and on top of any Sleep or Time card. This card stops the collection of Time cards until a “fix” Sooth Baby card 112 is played.

Snooze cards 114 are also a type of Fix card that are played on a player's discard pile. This card partially fixes the Alarm Clock 86 card. The Snooze card 114 allows for only the five minute, ten minute, and fifteen minute point accumulation to occur. A Bed card 66, or a Couch card 68, will cancel the Snooze card 114, allowing all Time cards to be collected. In general, if a fix card is played, an opposing player must still throw a Bed or Couch card in order to again begin accumulating points.

Power cards can be played by any player at any time. Power cards are used to cancel or prevent other Wake cards from being played. The No Kids card 124 can be played anytime during a round. The owner of this card will cancel or prevent the Baby Crying card 94 from being played on their discard pile. The Battery Backup card 126 can also be played anytime during a round. The owner of this card will cancel or prevent the Low-Battery Smoke Alarm card 92 from being played on their discard pile. The Sleeping Pill card 128 can also be played anytime during a round. The owner of this card will cancel an opposing player's Alarm Clock 86, Couch 68, and Nightmare 142 cards and additionally prevent the Alarm Clock 86 and Couch 68 cards from being played on their own discard pile. Moreover, a Bed card 66 is no longer required because the Sleeping Pill card 128 acts as a permanent Bed card 66. The No Pets card 130 is the last Power card and can also be played anytime during a round. The owner of this card will cancel or prevent the Cat Furball 88 and the Dog Scratching 90 cards from being played on their discard pile.

If a Special Card is played, game play is somewhat altered. The On Call card 140 can be played anytime during a round. The player that the holder of this card chooses will have their turn skipped for one round. The Nightmare card 142 can be played anytime during a round on another player. This card will wake a person up and cancel a Bed card 66. The opposing player who the Nightmare card 142 was played against is required to play another Bed card 66 in order to start collecting Time cards.

Lastly, a player may use a Super Card during the round and alter traditional game play. The Power Nap card 152 can be played anytime during a round. The holder of this card instantly collects Sixty Minutes of sleep when this card is played, and automatically overrides any Wake card. The Caffeine Boost 154 card can also be played at anytime during a round. When playing this card, the card holder decides which player to deduct Sixty Minutes of sleep from.

As seen, each card and series of cards has a unique purpose in the playing of this card game. The amount of cards is unique and greatly increases the cards in the deck. The increased variety of cards in a deck increases unpredictability and the level of fun a player may have. By following the rules of the game, players can use this new deck to have more fun and enjoy card games to a greater extent than they would have with other, existing decks of cards.

What has been shown and described is a particular embodiment of my invention, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and therefore, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such changes and modification that fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A deck of cards including a plurality of cards, the deck comprising: a first series of cards having numerical designations thereon indicating at least one unit of time; a second series of cards having a Sleep Statement; a third series of cards having a Wake Statement; a fourth series of cards having a Fix Statement; a fifth series of cards having a Power Statement; a sixth series of cards having a Special statement; a seventh series of cards, having a Super Statement; wherein the deck of cards is adapted for use during a game, wherein multiple players receive, draw, dispose, and play at least one card from the deck during the game.
 2. The deck of cards recited in claim 1 wherein: each card being rectangular in shape; each card being the same shape; each card having a front side; each card having a back side; the back portion having the same pictorial representation on every card.
 3. The deck of cards recited in claim 1 wherein: each card having a front side with an outer section; each card having a front side with an inner section; each card's front side having a top left section of the outer section; each card's front side having a bottom right section of the outer section; each card's front side having a top right section of the inner section; each card's front side having a bottom left section of the inner section; a first series of cards having numerical designations thereon indicating at least one unit of time on the front side, top left section of the outer section and bottom right section of the outer section; a second series of cards having a Sleep Statement located on the front side, top left section of the outer section, bottom right section of the front side, outer section, top right section of the inner section, and, the bottom left section of the inner section; a third series of cards having a Wake Statement located on the front side, top left section of the outer section, bottom right section of the outer section, top right section of the inner section, and, the bottom left section of the inner section; a fourth series of cards having a Fix Statement located on the front side, top left section of the outer section, bottom right section of the outer section, top right section of the inner section, and, the bottom left section of the inner section; a fifth series of cards having a Power Statement located on the front side, top left section of the outer section, bottom right section of the outer section, top right section of the inner section, and, the bottom left section of the inner section; a sixth series of cards having a Special Statement located on the front side, top left section of the outer section, bottom right section of the outer section, top right section of the inner section, and, the bottom left section of the inner section; a seventh series of cards, having a Super Statement located on the front side, top left section of the outer section, bottom right section of the outer section, top right section of the inner section, and, the bottom left section of the inner section.
 4. The deck of cards recited in claim 1 wherein: the first series of cards having at least one Time card; the series of Time cards having time designations of 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 45, 60 (one hour) and 120 (two hours) minutes.
 5. The deck of cards recited in claim 1 wherein: the second series of cards having at least one Bed card; the second series of cards having at least one Couch card.
 6. The deck of cards recited in claim 1 wherein: the third series of cards having at least one Alarm Clock card; the third series of cards having at least one Cat Furball card; the third series of cards having at least one Dog Scratching card; the third series of cards having at least one Smoke Alarm-Low Battery card; the third series of cards having at least one Baby Crying card.
 7. The deck of cards recited in claim 1 wherein: the fourth series of card having at least one Alarm Off card; the fourth series of card having at least one Carpet Cleaner card; the fourth series of card having at least one Walk Dog card; the fourth series of card having at least one Replace Battery card; the fourth series of card having at least one Sooth Baby card; the fourth series of card having at least one Snooze card.
 8. The deck of cards recited in claim 1 wherein: the fifth series of cards having at least one No Kids card; the fifth series of cards having at least one Battery Backup card; the fifth series of cards having at least one Sleeping Pills card; the fifth series of cards having at least one No Pets card.
 9. The deck of cards recited in claim 1 wherein: the sixth series of cards having at least one On Call card; the sixth series of cards having at least one Nightmare card.
 10. The deck of cards recited in claim 1 wherein: the seventh series of cards having only one Power Nap card; the seventh series of cards having only one Caffeine Boost card.
 11. The deck of cards of claim 1 wherein, during the game, at least one of a group of multiple players uses an individual card during the game, the individual card being one of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, or seventh category of cards, and wherein at least one of the multiple players accumulates points during the game, such that: the points are equal to at least one unit of time when the individual card is one of the first category of cards; the points are below a limit of points indicated by the sleep statement of the card in the second series of cards played; the third series of cards being used to stop accumulation points, first series of cards, by an opposing player; the fourth series of cards being used to adjust the scoring of a Wake card played by an opposing player; the fifth series of cards being used to cancel scoring of a Wake card played by an opposing player; the sixth series of cards being used to stop or inhibit opposing players from earning points; the seventh series of cards being used to adjust a player's own points; the seventh series of cards being used to take points away from opposing players; the first player to reach a predetermined set of points, wins the game. 